The Theory of Everything (PG-13)

December 3, 2014 4:38 PM

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Eddie Redmayne does something extraordinary in The Theory of Everything. Playing the astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who was diagnosed with a crippling disease at 21 that gradually made him lose control of his muscles, Redmayne makes you forget you’re watching an actor put himself through punishing contortions. He keeps you focused on the man trapped inside a malfunctioning body, a genius who had so much to offer to the world that he refused to give up long after most of us would have surrendered.

This sort of role is catnip for actors, who love to have something physical to do while they’re reciting their dialogue. But Redmayne (Les Miserables, My Week with Marilyn) approaches the role from the inside out instead of the other way around. The more difficult everyday life becomes for Hawking, ...